VOLUME XXXV NUMBER 3, 2013 The Main Event: Thirty-Eighth Annual Meeting June 3, 2013 The 38th Annual Meeting of the Society was held on supporter of the Society’s programs, and has hosted dinners Monday, June 3, 2013 at the United States Supreme Court. and lectures, and assisted in many other ways with his insight As usual, the fi rst event was the Annual Lecture, presented and suggestions. this year by Justice Antonin Scalia and Professor Bryan A. Joining the Justice on June 3rd was his co-author and Garner. The Justice and his colleague are coauthors of the collaborator, Professor Bryan A. Garner. Professor Garner recent: Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts. is a Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Southern The lecture highlighted Methodist University major themes from School of Law and is the book. A large and President of Lawprose enthusiastic audience atte- Inc., which specializes in nded in the Supreme Court providing CLE training Chamber. in legal writing. He is Society President well known in the legal Gregory P. Joseph intro- community as an author duced the speakers, and speaker. In addition observing that this was to his present book with the third time that Justice Justice Scalia, he also Scalia has presented the coauthored an earlier book Annual Lecture. His fi rst with the Justice: Making appearance, in 1985, was Your Case, the Art of before his appointment to Persuading Judges. the Supreme Court. At that Among lawyers Professor time, then-Judge Scalia Garner is well known as was serving on the Court the editor in chief of recent of Appeals for the District Justice Scalia was joined by Professor Bryan Garner (right) for the editions of the famous of Columbia. His talk was Annual Lecture. It marked the third time Justice Scalia has given Black’s Law Dictionary. not given in the Supreme the Annual Lecture. Justice Scalia and Court Building but rather Professor Garner each in the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the basement of the addressed elements of the book, frequently responding to Capitol. That venue was the setting of the Annual Lecture in one another’s comments. The normal lecture format was the early days of the Society. The growth of the Society has discarded and instead there was a lively and engaging necessitated the relocation of the event to the larger Supreme forum with fascinating, insightful, and at times humorous, Court Chamber. In 1986, only a year after giving the lecture, comments by both speakers. Audience members came to Judge Scalia was nominated to serve in his present position. understand that the language of a legal opinion or a legal He is now the longest-serving member of the current Court. brief must often be carefully examined to discern the The Society owes a sincere debt of gratitude to Justice precision of its meaning. As is customary, an article based Scalia for his support. He has been a generous and frequent Continued on Page 3 A Letter from the President Changes in the Laws. His vision became the blueprint for the Society’s leadership of the growth in the fi elds of publications and programs ever since. Society are a natural During Leon’s 11-year tenure as President, a tenure and recurring fea- unequaled in the history of the Society, he initiated the lecture ture. At each Annual series that now bears his name. He oversaw the expansion Meeting elections are of the fl agship publication, the Journal of Supreme Court held that result in new History from one to three issues annually. The Summer persons joining the Institute for Teachers was inaugurated. He raised the funds leadership and others essential to allow the Society to complete the work on changing their roles. the multi-volume Documentary History of the Court’s But June 2013 marked fi rst decade. The publications expanded to include special a change of such volumes, such as the very popular Illustrated Biographies signifi cance that it can of the Supreme Court Justices; now in its third edition; be characterized as a Brown, Black and White, the story of the landmark true turning point. On school desegregation cases; Supreme Court Decisions & June 3rd, Leon Silverman moved from a position of active Women’s Rights; and other valuable and popular volumes. leadership to become Chairman of the Board Emeritus. Leon also led the drive to purchase and renovate the This signals the end of nearly 30 years of continuing, active Society’s very handsome headquarters at Opperman service to the Society by Leon. House on East Capitol Street. The For many of us, Leon Silverman dedication of the building in 1999 provided our introduction to the marked the culmination of a dream Supreme Court Historical Society. to fi nd a permanent location to serve His name was all but synonymous as the base of operations for Society with the Society for many people activities, house our outstanding for many years. Leon has a gift library, and provide space for for motivating others to become Society meetings and for the use of involved in the projects that have members while they are on Capitol captured his interest, and this has Hill. produced many leaders of the Leon’s dedication to the Society Society over the past 30 years. When and his endearing, outgoing ways he became President in 1991 he earned him the respect and admiration had already been a driving force in of those with whom he worked. He the Society’s fl edgling endowment visited Washington frequently and campaign instituted by Justin developed personal friendships with Stanley. Long-time staff members Society staff members, offi cers and recall his fi rst days in the offi ce staff members of the Court, as well when he perused legal directories of as the Justices, most of whom knew lawyers and began calling or writing him on a fi rst name basis. his many friends and acquaintances Under his leadership, recognition to encourage them, quite strongly, of the Society blossomed and to participate in the Society. Not Leon Silverman, President 1991-2002 membership grew. Of the Society’s only did membership numbers Chair of the Board of Trustees 2002-2013 many successes over the past swell under his Presidency, but vital two decades and more, there are fi nancial support was obtained as few that cannot trace their roots well. to Leon’s imagination and drive. Although he has taken With an expanded and more stable stream of fi nancial Chairman Emeritus Status, he will always be an integral support and refreshed leadership team, he turned to part of the Society. We salute him for his many outstanding developing a plan for expanding the Society’s outreach, in contributions and for his visionary leadership. We are all light of the goals outlined by the incorporators of the Society. benefi ciaries of his legacy, and as we move forward, we will In particular, he focused on programs that would help the continue to build upon the fi rm foundation he laid. Society achieve the educational mission outlined in the By- 2 Annual Meeting continued from page 1 and Roy Englert, Jr. Professor Brad Snyder, author of a on the Annual Lecture will appear in a future issue of the biography of Flood, provided an informative overview and Journal of Supreme Court History. then returned to the podium following the oral argument Following the lecture, Society members and guests toured to talk about Flood’s life after the decision was rendered. the building. This optional tour was also available prior to The “argument” was masterful and all three participants the lecture, under the direction of the Offi ce of the Curator provided an outstanding program. Audience members were of the Court. By offering two separate time slots for tours, unanimous in their assessment that the event was “a home many more members have been able to visit, learning about run.” President Joseph commented that two wonderful lecture programs had already been presented as part of the 2013 Leon Silverman Lecture series. Subsequent to the Annual Meeting, the two remaining lectures were given in the Fall. The theme of the series was Litigants in Landmark Supreme Court Civil Rights Cases of the 20th Century. The lectures were presented to large and appreciative audiences, a testament to the great attention and thought put into planning and executing the programs. Sessions of the Summer Institute for Teachers were held in June. Mr. Joseph expressed his pleasure that the Society was in a position to sponsor two sessions. This outstanding Ralph I. Lancaster was photographed with his wife and friends shortly after his election as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Those pictured from left to right are: Laura Heery, Mr. Lancaster, Mary Lou Lancaster, and Andrew Prozes. the history and construction of the building, and other interesting historical insights. In addition to being led by knowledgeable guides, the tours provide an opportunity for guests to see portions of the building that are not usually open to the public. The Society is grateful to the Curator of the Court, Catherine Fitts, and to Erin Huckle and Megan Jones for their assistance. At 6 PM, members of the Board of Trustees gathered in the Supreme Court Chamber to hold the Annual Meeting of the Board. President Joseph opened the meeting , welcoming Trustees and their guests and identifying other offi cers present: Philip Kessler, Secretary of the Society and Chair of the Nominating Committee; Robert Juceam, General Counsel; Vice Presidents, Vincent Burke III, Dorothy Goldman, and Jerome Libin; Treasurer Sheldon Cohen; Justice Alito presented an award to Trustee Leon Polsky (left) President Emeritus Ralph Lancaster; and Vice President in recognition of his support of the Society.